Ditching-machine.



T. H. GRAY.

DITCHING MACHINE.

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1 ,1 97,62 1 Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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DITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APII. I9. 191.3. E NEwED IuLv 25. IsIs.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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THOMAS H. GRAY, OF LA GRANDE, OREGON.

DITCHING-MAGHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12', 1916.

Application led April 19, 1913, Serial No. 762,433. Renewed July 25, 1916. Serial No. 111,275.

4 cavating machines and has particular reference to that class of excavators peculiarly adapted for the ditching of irrigating lands.

The principal object of my invention 'resides in the provision of a machine which may be used to dig irrigation ditches and which may also be employed to clean out one of such ditches, removing excess grass, weeds and other debris Commonly found in and along the borders of the ditches in irrigated alfalfa fields.

e" further object is to so construct and arrange the various elements of my machine that the depth of the ditch may be readily varied by the driver of the machine when the character of the soil under the process of ditching changes from hard packed clay to sandy loam or any of the other well known types of soil.

A yet further object resides in the provision of such means as will make it possible to hold the excavating structure completely out of engagement with the ground so that the machine may be conveniently transported from one point to another.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in their preferred embodiment in the accompanyingv drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this specification.

lVith reference to the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 o f Fig. 1 illustrating the ditching structure 1n operative assembled position.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the preferred embodiment of my invention includes the supporting wheels 1 and 2, the supporting frame designated as an entirety by the numeral 3 and the excavating structure proper indicated as a whole by the numeral 4.

The supporting frame 3 includes the longitudinal beams 5 and 6, the end cross beams 7 and 8, the intermediate cross beams 9 and 10 anda rocker beam 11. The floori' ing 12 is providedl on the top of the framework and supports the drivers seat 13, the foot rest 14 and tool box l5. A draft tongue 16 is secured to the forward portion of the frame. Adjacent their opposite ends the beams 9 and 10 are providedV with the laterally extending chain receiving bores or apertures 17. Adjacent each end the beam 7 is carried a pair of spaced, downwardly projecting ears 18. These ears are perforated adjacent their free ends to receive the pivoting bolts 19. Y

The ditching structure includes the pivotally mounted rearwardly extending beams 20 and 21 which are provided with upward extensions at their forward ends; these extensions being perforated adjacent their forward extremities and being pivotally mounted on the bolts 19 and between the ears 18 referred to above. The cross beams 23, 24, 25 and 26 are provided to maintain the beams 20 and 21 in rigid spaced relation and to provide a supporting frame for the sheet metal bottom 27 which is secured to the bottom of the frame. A longitudinally extending beam 28 is disposed midway the beams 2O and 21. A plurality of excavating plows indicated by the numeral 29 are rigidly secured to the structure above described by means of the bolts 30 or any similar and suitable means. These plows 29 are provided with upwardly projecting extensions 31 which pass through openings formed in the bottom plate 27 and fit into cutouts or sockets leading from the lower faces of the longitudinally extending beams 20, 21 and 28. A cross beam 32 is secured to the rear end of the several longitudinally extending beams and carries a pair of eyelets 33 disposed adjacent the ends of the said beam 32. A pair of operating chains 34 and 35 are secured to the eyelets 33, are passed over the pulley 35 carried by the beam 9, are thence passed through the openings 17 of the crossibeams 9 and l0 and are secured at their other ends to the eyelets 36 carried by the roller members 37 at their lower extremities. These roller members which are substantially semi-circular blocks having the curved edges grooved for the reception of the chains are keyed to the rocker shaft 11. The free ends of the rocker shaft l1 are reduced, forming pintles which are rotatably mounted in oppositely disposed bores provided in the beams 5 and G adjacent the forward portion of the supporting frame. An operating lever 38 is secured to the rocker shaft l1 and carries a clutch engaging tooth member 39 which is adapted for engagement with the regularly extending grooves 40 provided in the edge of the slot 41. of the floor.

The operation of the ditching structure is as follows: When this machine is being moved from one field to another, the lever 38 is rocked to draw the chains 35 and to raise the plow-carrying frame i a suiiicient height to cause the piows to clear the ground. As soon as the machine reaches the ield where it is desired to form the fui-rows, the-lever 38 is moved to the desired position which will permit the plows to dig into the ground the desired amount, and the machine can then be drawn across the iield so that the plows will form a plurality of furrows. If the plows do not cut deep enough into the ground, or cut too deep, the lever is moved to raise or lower the frame and this will cause the plows to then dig into the ground the desired amount.

It will, of course, he understood that various minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims and without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A ditching machine including a sup porting structure, a frame, said frame comprising side bars connected with said supporting structure, cross bars connecting said side bars, an intermediate longitudinally extending bar, said side bars and intermediate bar being provided with cutouts leading from the lower faces and providing sockets, a bottom plate provided with openings registering with said sockets, and ditching plows iitting against said bottom plate, each of said ditching plows being provided with an extension passing through one of the openings of said bottom plate and into the sockets communicating therewith, and se curing means passing through said ditching plows through Vthe extensions thereof and through said side bars and intermediate bar.

2. A ditching machine including a sup.-

porting structure, a frame connected with said supporting structure, said frame including longitudinally extending bars having their lower faces provided with cutouts providing sockets, a bottom plate engaging said longitudinally extending bars and provided with openings registering with said sockets, ditching plows provided with extensions extending through the openings in said plate into said sockets, and securing means passing through said ditching plows and the extensions thereof and through said longitudinally extending bars.

THOMAS H. GRAY( Witnesses:

R. J. GREEN, LILLin CARLSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents cach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

